UNSW Council

Welcome from the Chancellor

The Council is the University’s governing body and is responsible for acting on the University’s behalf to promote its objectives and interests. The governance of universities has come under increasing scrutiny nationally in recent years, and UNSW and its Council are committed to meeting this scrutiny by demonstrating the highest standards. In line with this commitment our aim is to make the operations of Council as open and transparent as possible consistent with the need for some of Council’s business to be protected by confidentiality. This website is one contribution to increasing understanding of Council, its role and its operations, in the University and beyond.

The Council consists of 15 members with a variety of internal and external perspectives. Some are elected by staff, students, or graduates. Others are appointed by the State Minister for Education or by the Council itself. Between them they contribute a mixture of expertise in areas including finance, commercial activities, the law, governance and management, and planning and development, drawing on experience in the community, government, and private sectors. Council is also able to draw on additional valuable specialised expertise through the appointment of external members to Council committees. Council and Council Committee members serve the University in this way on an entirely voluntary basis.

On the Council website you can find more information about the members of Council and its committees and about their functions and procedures. Also available are some of Council’s non-confidential documents, information about policies approved by Council, links to other sources of information, and some contact details. I believe this is a valuable resource for the University community and hope you find it so.